Drainage system.



N0 MODEL.

Win,

' VPATENTED APR. 21, 1903.. B. P. SUDDATH.

' DRAINAGE SYSTEM.

APPLICATIONPILED DEO. 29, 1902. g

I 2 SHEETS-SHEET L' l y i Jhfogzs'l No. 725,793f l PATBNTED APR. 21, 1903.. B.F.SUDDATH. DRAINAGE SYSTEM.

Y APPLICATION P ILED DEU. 219, y1902. A y .No nonni. l v 2 SHEETS-SHEET z,

pgm A UNITED STATES PATENT Ormea.

BENJAMIN F. SUDDATH, OF GILLSVILLE, GEORGIA.

DRAINAGE SYSTEM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 725,793, dated April 21, i903.`

Application filed December Z9, 1.902. Serial No.137,036. (No model.) l

To @ZZ whom t may con/cern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN F. SUDDATH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Gillsville, in the county of Banks and State of Georgia, have invented a new and useful Drainage System, of which the following is a specification.

The principal object of the present invention is to improve the value of cultivated fields traversed by small creeks or rivulets by providing means whereby the ground forming the bottom of the creekorrivulet may be cultivatedin the same manner as the rest of the field without diverting the water; and to this end the invention comprises in general vmeans whereby the water may be safely couveyed through underground conduits for any desired distance. i

A further and important object of the invention is' to provide means for preventing thevaccumulation of silt and deposits in the Y conduits in order to avoid clogging.

A still further object of the invention is to provide 'automatic mechanism for cutting oli the flow of water through the conduits inthe event oioveriiow of a volume of water in excess of the capacity of the conduits to thereby prevent the filling of the conduits with sand and similar material.'

` A still further object o f the invention is to provide catch-basins at intervals in the length of the conduit for the purpose of retaining the sand and other material and preventing the entrance ofthe same to the conduits.

A still further object of the invention is to provide means whereby bodies of water may be allowed to accumulate at intervals to form strong currentsof water for iiushing the conduits and washing out any sediment therein. i

A still further object of the invention is to provide for the storage of water in vany desired quantity' at convenient intervals for use for the Watering of stock, irrigating, and other purposes. l

With these and other objects in View the invention consists'in the novel construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that various changes in the forni, proportions,size,

-'accordance with the invention.

and minor details of the structure may be made without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In. the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a plan View, in the nature of a diagram, illustrating a drainage apparatus or system in Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of the'same. Fig. 3 is au enlarged sectional elevation of one of the reservoirs ory tanks which form a part of the apparatus. Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional elevation of the same.

Similar numerals of reference are employed to` indicate corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

The high side of the land to be drained is indicated at l0 and the low side at 1l, and from side to side there extends a drainage apparatus, preferably following the former course of a creek or other natural drain and comprising a plurality of underground conduits and intervening reservoirs or tanks, the conduits being arrangedunder the suryface of the ground, so that the bed of the creek may be cultivatedin the same manner as the remaining portion of the field.

At suitable points, as may be dictated by the contour of the ground or by other requirements, are reservoirs or tanks 14, preferably arranged at comparatively short'intervals and located at gradually lower levels from the high to the low side of the field, the lower part of the uppermost or highest reservoir being sufficiently above the upper portion of the next succeeding reservoir to cause the water to iow freely through the connectingconduits, (indicated at 15,) and-so on to the finaldischarge, so that it left to itself the Water will continuously iio'w through the con! duits and reservoirs. l

The conduits will be arranged below the surface of the ground in a manner similar to ordinary drainage-tubes, as indicated in Fig. 2, so that the cultivation of the surface will not in any manner be interfered with, and these conduits, as well as the reservoirs, may be formed of wood, stonee cement, earthenware, 'or any other suitable material.

It is obvious that any required number of reservoirs may he employed and arranged in any desired manner, according to the nature IOC of the ground. It is also obvious that the reservoirs or conduits maybe of any required size or capacity and located at any distance apart in order that when filled they may be employed for Watering stock, for irrigation, and other purposes.

Referringr more particularly to Fig. 3 of the drawings, which illustrates one of the reservoirs or tanks, 2O indicates the side walls, which may be formed of wooden planks or other suitable material. The inlet draintube 15 communicates with the reservoirat a point near the surface of the ground, while the outlet is disposed at a convenient distance above the bottom of the reservoir in order that the latter may form a catch-basin for sand,silt, and otheraccumulations,which would otherwise flow through the outlet-conduit and which may be removed as occasion may require. At the outlet side of the reservoir are guides 2l for the reception f a vertically-movable 'valve' 22, which may be formed of a slidable plank or of metal, the valve heilig designed to close the mouth of the outlet-conduit when it is desired to prevent the passage of water therethrough, this beingdone Whenever it is necessary to accumulate a -body of' water in the tank for the use of cattle, for irrigating purposes, or to form a strong head of water for flushing the outlet-conduit and Washing out any sediment therein. Provision is also made for antomatcally closing the outlet by means of this valve iu the event of overowing of a volume of water beyond or in excess of the capacity of the conduit to thereby prevent the choking of the conduits by sand and foreign material. The upper end of the valve or valve-stem is adapted to snitableguides 23 and at a point near its upper end is provided with a box 24 for the reception of stones or other weights, or an iron or similar weight may be secured to the upper portion of the stem in order to effect a quick and positive downward movement of thevalve when necessary. Under ordinary circumstances the valve is held in open position by means of a pivoted trip or prop 25, adapted to engage under a projecting portion ofthe valve-stem, and the water is allowed to iiow naturally in the reservoir, through theinletpipe,and thence out through the outlet-pipe, any matter held in suspension being deposited in' the lower portion of the reservoir.

To the standards, which form the guides 23, is pivoted a cover 26, having a downwardly and rearwardly projectingr arm '27, adapted whenv moved to the dotted-line position of Fig. 3 toengage with the trip or prop l25 and allow the valve to descend under the. influence of the weight 2t. To the forward edge of the cover 26 is hinged a plate 28, which may be arranged at a slight angle to the Vertical, the lower edge of said plate being supported by one or more lugs 29, projecting from the inner face of a strip 3Q, which is pivotally connected to the upper portion of the reservoir at a point slightly above the mouth of the inletpipe. The two strips 28 and 30 are arranged at an obtuse angle to eachother, the strip 30 being inclined forwardly or outwardly from the line of the tank vand projecting slightly above the surface of the ground, so that in the event of the overfiow of the creek or other stream being drained and the accumulation of water on the surface of the ground in the vicinity of the reservoir the strip 30 will be washed inwardly and fall to the dotted-line position indicated in Fig. 3. This movement will trip the strip 28 and cover 26, the latter -falling by gravity tothe .dotted-line position of Fig. 3, and its rearwardly-extended arm 27 moving into engagement with the prop 25, the prop being tripped and allowing the valve to descend and close* the outlet. This operation is intended to take place when an overflow occurs for the purpose of preventing the body of sand, silt, or other material carried by the water accumulating in the conduits and choking the same, and unless this or similar provision is made for the purpose it may require digging up the conduits in order to remove the heavy matter carried by the water during the Overilow.

The covers 26, in connection with the strips 28, serve to prevent the entrance of sand and trash from the surface; butin some cases the cover 26 may be in Athe form of a simple bar or strip of wpod or other material where it is desirable to keep the reservoir open to t-he air.

The volume of water passing through the conduits will always deposit sediment therein, and to wash out the sediment and (lush the conduits the valves may be closed manually until suliicient volume of water accumulates in the reservoirs to eifect the desired result, and in similar manner the valves may be retained closed in order that water may accumulate to be employed for stock for irrigating or other purposes.

With an apparatus of this kind the water is completely controlled and either entirely carried off or partly reserved, as may be required, so that land which has heretofore been Worthless by reason of a surplus of water may be restored to a useful condition and preserved in that condition'with very little trouble and at small expense. P

A further advantage is attained by closing the valves on the lower reservoirs and permitting the accumulation of sufficient quan' tities of water to overflow the tanks for irrigating purposes when required, or if Athe con- Y.

serving a supply of the surplus Water for use during the dry season. To this end the res- Iou p ervoirs may be constructed large enough and placed at sufficiently close intervals to store the requisite quantity to meet the demand.

The reservoirs maybe arranged in groups with the conduits from several reservoirs leading into one larger main reservoir, and

' thus provide for draining different parts of the field, or the reservoirs and conduits may be arranged to conduct the surplus water to storage reservoirs or tanks in different parts ofthe eld or arranged in any other required lmanner to accomplish the desired results, and I do not, therefore, wish to be limited to any particular or specic relative arrangement of the connected reservoirs and conduits.

Having thus described' the invention, what `is claimed isl 1. A drainage apparatus comprising a con-A closing the outlets rom said' reservoirs, andmeans operable by the flow of surface drainage i'nto the reservoirs for automatically tripping said valve and thereby eiecting the closing of the outlet.

3. A draining apparatus comprising a plurality of tanks or reservoirs embedded in the ground at successive lower levels, conduits leading from the lower to the upper parts of the reservoirs consecutively and at a sucient grade to cause the water to Hof Lhrough them, gravity-Valvesdisposed to close the p outlets from said reservoirs, and trip means whereby said valves may be movably supported in their open position and rendered operative by releasing the trips, substantially as described.

4. In an irrigating os draining apparatus,- areservoi` adapted to be embedded in the ground to be drained or irrigated, an intakeconduit leading into the reservoir at or near the top, an outflow-conduit leading from the reservoir at or near the bottom, a valve slidably disposed relative to said ontow-conduit and adapted when closed to shut od the outflow, a prop disposed to maintain said valveopen, and a trip device operable by the overiiow of water and adapted to release said prop and permit the valve toclose, substantially as described.

5. In an irrigating or draining apparatus, a reservoir adapted to be embedded in the ground to be drained or irrigated, an intakeconduit;l leading into the reservoir at or near the top, an outow-conduit leading from the reservoir at o'r near the bottom, a valve slidably disposed relative to said outflow-conduit and adapted when closed to shut off the outflow, a prop disposed to maintain said valve open, a trip-lever pivotally supported at one end adjacent to said prop and adapted when actuated to release said prop, a stop-lever movably connected by one end to saidvreser-` voir, and a trip-arm between said trip-lever a'nd stop-lever, and adapted to hold said triplever out of action, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

BENJAMIN F. SUDDATH.

Witnesses:

M. B. CARTER, W. N. DYER. 

